A Man of the People
Representations of Africa
23 October 2012
A Man of the People: Conflict in Independent Nigeria Independent Nigeria witnessed increasingly abominable conflicts arising at both the social and political level. At a time when “the national question“ was at the top of the government’s agenda, the search for political power, namely at the regional level, stymied any progress. How could a “national identity” be established when the people identified themselves primarily based on their ethnicity? Without that overwhelming sense of collective nationalism among Nigerians, it was almost predictable that politicians would look to regional power to guarantee prestige and power for their respective regions, rather than to promote national growth and unity. Chinua Achebe’s novel, A Man of the People, addresses this multi-faceted conflict. The story’s conflicts between distinct characters like Odili and Chief Nanga help demonstrate the real-life problems that existed between competing political and social groups in Nigeria. His story provides an account of how the culmination of personal and political conflicts, along with colonial legacy not only fueled these conflicts, but also elevated them to the point of a national state of emergency, demonstrating the significance of leaving the “National Question” unanswered. Looking first at colonial legacy, it is clear why society in independent Nigeria would have been marred by severe conflict. British colonials traced the nation of Nigeria out of Africa. Borders were drawn without regard to different regional ethnic groups. Already, the country was created in such a way that induced social and regional conflict. People who primarily identified as Yoruba, Hausa, etc. were now being asked to relegate their ethnic identities in favor of a Nigerian one. The fundamental concern for Nigerian politicians at this time was not to establish a strong national government; that was already seen to be ineffective. Power at the national level of
23 October 2012
A Man of the People: Conflict in Independent Nigeria Independent Nigeria witnessed increasingly abominable conflicts arising at both the social and political level. At a time when “the national question“ was at the top of the government’s agenda, the search for political power, namely at the regional level, stymied any progress. How could a “national identity” be established when the people identified themselves primarily based on their ethnicity? Without that overwhelming sense of collective nationalism among Nigerians, it was almost predictable that politicians would look to regional power to guarantee prestige and power for their respective regions, rather than to promote national growth and unity. Chinua Achebe’s novel, A Man of the People, addresses this multi-faceted conflict. The story’s conflicts between distinct characters like Odili and Chief Nanga help demonstrate the real-life problems that existed between competing political and social groups in Nigeria. His story provides an account of how the culmination of personal and political conflicts, along with colonial legacy not only fueled these conflicts, but also elevated them to the point of a national state of emergency, demonstrating the significance of leaving the “National Question” unanswered. Looking first at colonial legacy, it is clear why society in independent Nigeria would have been marred by severe conflict. British colonials traced the nation of Nigeria out of Africa. Borders were drawn without regard to different regional ethnic groups. Already, the country was created in such a way that induced social and regional conflict. People who primarily identified as Yoruba, Hausa, etc. were now being asked to relegate their ethnic identities in favor of a Nigerian one. The fundamental concern for Nigerian politicians at this time was not to establish a strong national government; that was already seen to be ineffective. Power at the national level of